FreeView Keeps Growing

satellite receiver

FreeView, the U.K.-based no-cost digital terrestrial service delivering about 30 channels to consumers, saw more than one million sales of its set-top boxes and televisions with integrated tuners during the third quarter, British regulator OfCom reported.

The number of households with FreeView as their only source of digital TV viewing was estimated to have grown to about 5.775 million by the end of September, reflecting an increase of 600,000 homes during the quarter, OfCom said. FreeView is challenging subscription-based British Sky Broadcasting, the U.K.-Irish satellite TV platform controlled by News Corp.

As for BSkyB, the service took its subscriber total to 7.4 million during the third quarter. OfCom said estimates found there are about 545,000 free-to-view digital satellite homes, a figure that includes viewers who are no longer BSkyB subscribers but still receive free channels through their set-top box, including "Solus" public service channels.

OfCom also reported that as of Sept. 30, digital TV was in 65.9 percent of U.K. households, up from 63 percent recorded in the previous quarter.